Today, every tourist, having arrived in Volgograd, seeks to feel all the pain and courage of the Russian people during the Great Patriotic War. To do this, he goes to Mamaev Kurgan, where all emotions are embodied in wonderful sculptures. Few people know that, in addition to the mound, there are also historical monuments in Volgograd. Pavlov's house can be attributed to one of the more significant ones.
Pavlov's house in Stalingrad played an important role during the counterattacks of the German troops. Thanks to the resilience of the Russian soldiers, the enemy troops were rebuffed, and Stalingrad was not captured. You can learn about the horror experienced even now by examining the preserved wall of the destroyed house.
Pavlov's House in Stalingrad and its history before the war
Before the war, Pavlov's house was an ordinary building with not all the usual reputation. So, party and industrial workers lived in a four-story building. The house, standing on Penzenskaya Street, at number 61, was considered prestigious before the war. It was surrounded by numerous elite buildings in which NKVD officers and signalmen lived. The location of the building is also noteworthy.
The 1903 Gerhardt Mill was built behind the building. After 30 meters was the twin house of Zabolotny. Both the mill andZabolotny's house was practically destroyed during the war. No one was involved in the restoration of buildings.
Defense of Pavlov's house in Stalingrad
During the battle for Stalingrad, each residential building became a defensive fortress from which they fought. All the buildings on the 9th of January Square were destroyed. Only one surviving building remains. On September 27, 1942, a reconnaissance group consisting of 4 people, led by Ya. F. Pavlov, having knocked out the Germans from a four-story residential building, began to hold the defense in it. Having penetrated into the building, the group found civilians there who were trying with all their might to hold the house for about two days. The defense by a small detachment continued for three days, after which reinforcements arrived. It was a machine-gun platoon under the command of I. F. Afanasyev, machine gunners and armor-piercers. The total number of people who came to help was 24 people. Together, the soldiers strengthened the defenses of the entire building. Sappers mined all approaches to the building. A trench was also dug through which negotiations were conducted with the command, and food was delivered with ammunition.
Pavlov's house in Stalingrad held the line for almost 2 months. The location of the building helped the soldiers. A huge panorama was visible from the upper floors, and Russian soldiers could keep parts of the city captured by German troops under fire with a range of over 1 kilometer.
For two months the Germans were heavily attacking the building. They made several counterattacks a day and even broke through to the first one several times.floor. During such battles, one wall of the building was destroyed. The Soviet troops held the defense strong and courageous, so it was impossible to capture the entire house from the opponents.
November 24, 1942, under the command of I. I. Naumov, the battalion attacked the enemy, capturing nearby houses. I. I. Naumov died. I. F. Afanasiev and Ya. F. Pavlov received only wounds. The civilians who were in the basement of the house were not injured for all two months.
Restoration of Pavlov's House
Pavlov's house in Stalingrad was the first to be restored. In June 1943, A. M. Cherkasova brought the wives of soldiers with her to the ruins. This is how the “Cherkasov movement” arose, which included exclusively women. The emerging movement found responses in other liberated territories. Volunteers began to rebuild the destroyed cities with their own hands in their free time.
The 9th of January Square has been renamed. The new name is Defense Square. New houses were built on the territory and surrounded by a semicircular colonnade. The project was led by the architect E. I. Fialko.
In 1960 the square was renamed again. Now it is Lenin Square. And from the end wall, sculptors A. V. Golovanov and P. L. Malkov built a memorial in 1965, which is still preserved and adorns the city of Volgograd.
By 1985 Pavlov's house was rebuilt. At the end of the building overlooking Sovetskaya Street, architect V. E. Maslyaev and sculptor V. G. Fetisov erected a memorial with an inscription reminiscent of the feat of Soviet soldiers in thosedays when they fought over every brick of this house.
Interesting facts
The great struggle was between the Soviet soldiers and the German invaders for Stalingrad, Pavlov's house. History has preserved many unique and interesting documents that tell about the actions of the enemy and our multinational defenders of the Fatherland and still leave some questions open. So, for example, they still argue whether the Germans were during the capture of the building by a reconnaissance group. I. F. Afanasiev claims that there were no opponents, but, according to the official version, the Germans were in the second entrance, or rather, there was an easel machine gun near the window.
There are also disputes about the evacuation of civilians. Some historians claim that people continued to be in the basement all the time of the defense. According to other sources, immediately after the death of the foreman, who brought food, the inhabitants were led out through dug trenches.
When the Germans demolished one of the walls, Ya. F. Pavlov reported to the commander with a joke. He said that the house remained ordinary, with only three walls, and most importantly, now there is ventilation.
Defenders of Pavlov's House
Pavlov's house in Stalingrad was defended by 24 people. But, according to I. F. Afanasyev in his memoirs, no more than 15 people held the defense at the same time. First, the defenders of Pavlov's house in Stalingrad are just 4 people: Pavlov, Glushchenko, Chernogolov, Aleksandrov.
Then the team receivedreinforcement. The accepted fixed number of defenders is 24. But, according to the same memoirs of Afanasyev, there were a little more of them.
The team consisted of fighters of 9 nationalities. The 25th defender was Gor Khokhlov. He was a native of Kalmykia. True, after the battle he was removed from the list. After 62 years, the participation and courage of the soldier in the defense of Pavlov's house was confirmed.
Also, the Abkhazian Aleksey Sukba completes the list of the “deleted”. In 1944, for unknown reasons, the soldier got into the named team. Therefore, his name is not immortalized on the panel of the memorial.
Biography of Yakov Fedotovich Pavlov
Yakov Fedotovich was born in the village of Krestovaya, located in the Novgorod region, in 1917, on October 17th. After school, having worked a little in agriculture, he ended up in the Red Army, where he met the Great Patriotic War.
In 1942, he took part in the hostilities, defending and defending the city of Stalingrad. Holding on the defensive for 58 days a residential building on the square and destroying the enemy together with his comrades, he was awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Star. And also for his courage he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1946, Pavlov was demobilized and later graduated from school under the Central Committee of the CPSU. After the war, he continued to work in agriculture. 1981-28-09 Ya. F. Pavlov died.
Pavlov's House in modern times
Pavlov's house in Stalingrad was widely known. Address today (in the modern city of Volgograd):Sovetskaya street, 39.
It looks like an ordinary four-story house with a memorial wall at the end. Numerous groups of tourists come here every year to look at the famous Pavlov's house in Stalingrad. A photo depicting the building from different angles is a regular addition to their personal collections.
Movies made about Pavlov's house
Pavel's house in Stalingrad does not disregard the cinema. The film, shot about the defense of Stalingrad, is called "Stalingrad" (2013). Then the famous and talented director Fyodor Bondarchuk made a picture that can convey to the audience the whole atmosphere of wartime. He showed all the horror of the war, as well as all the greatness of the Soviet people.
The film was awarded the American International Society of 3D Makers Award. In addition, he was also nominated for the Nika and Golden Eagle awards. In some categories, the film received awards such as "Best Production Design" and "Best Costume Design". True, the reviews of the audience left ambiguous about the picture. Many do not believe her. To get the right impression, you still need to see this film in person.
In addition to the modern film, many documentaries have also been shot. Some with the participation of soldiers defending the building. So, there are several documentaries that tell about the Soviet soldier during the defense. Among them is a tape about Gar Khokholov and Alexei Sukba. It is their surnamesnot on the plaque. The film tells a detailed story: how it is that their names are not sealed forever.
Cultural reflection of a feat
In addition to films, many essays and memoirs about the feat of Soviet soldiers have also been written over the past time. Even Ya. F. Pavlov himself described a little all the actions and his memories of the two months spent on the defensive.
The most famous work is the book "Pavlov's House", written by the author Lev Isomerovich Savelyev. This is a kind of true story that tells about the courage and courage of the Soviet soldier. The book was recognized as the best work describing the atmosphere of the defense of Pavlov's house.
